Why Younger Generations Stopped Trusting the Church (p5)
We’ve made it! Part 5 of “Why Younger Generations Stopped Trusting the Church”…
In the last 4 blogs we’ve explored the massive shifts culture has undergone in the last 50 years. From the pre-modern to the modern, postmodern, and now meta-modern worlds. All with one key focus in mind: to understand why younger generations have stopped trusting the church. Why they seem less interested in classical religion, denominational identities, and absolute truth claims. And what we as believers can do to reach this generation.
In today’s blog, it’s that final bit I want to focus on. What can we do? How do we reach this generation? What does evangelism look like in this world?
Before I answer that question, we need to look at what classical SDA evangelism looks like. There are two models that both fall under the classical banner. The first I call the informational approach. The second I call the romantic approach. And neither is effective at secular post-church mission.
The informational approach to classical evangelism looks like this: You hire a big hall or host a big event in a local church. You spend a few months doing groundwork in your community and advertising the event. If you do it well, you will have a group of people already ready for baptism when the event kicks off. Then, at the actual event, you have a charismatic traveling evangelist break down the fundamental beliefs of the church. Lots of proof texting, lots of reacting and debunking other denominations, and lots of apocalyptic anti-Catholic rhetoric. In the end, if the information you presented was convincing enough, a group of warmed up contacts will be ready to get baptized and the event ends with a bang.
There’s a lot more I could say but… I think we all get the point. We’ve been to these events many times and we know their ins and outs. Why this model doesn’t work with secular seekers today is probably not something I need to explain much. I’m sure you already get it. But for the sake of clarity here are three quick points.
The above model assumes that a person can be prepped for baptism by studying the Bible with them for a few months before a big evangelistic campaign. And this does work - but not for secular post-church seekers. This model works for pre-modern migrant communities, older generations, or already-religious people who are swapping denominations. For secular seekers, it’s a total dud. Yes, once in a blue moon it works there too. But not predictably or sustainably. In my own context in Australia, a secular seeker can take years and years of gentle discipleship before they are even ready to start reading the Bible or doing formal Bible studies with close friends. So this model simply doesn’t work for them. It’s too rushed.
The above model also assumes the seeker has religious questions. A lot of the topics explored in these series are topics that are of interest only to religious audiences. “Why are there so many denominations?” assumes you know what a denomination is. “Why is Sabbath on Saturday and not Sunday?” assumes you know the debate even exists. “How do I go to heaven?” assumes you have religious anxieties about eternity. None of these things are true of most secular seekers, most of whom couldn’t care less about any of these topics.
Finally, the above model is programmatic. It’s all about a big production. In conservative circles, this big production is often packaged with hymns, people dressed in ways that are super weird to secular seekers, and language that sounds more like some weird cult from a Netflix documentary than a genuine community of people walking with God. In more contemporary circles, the aesthetics might not be as weird. But it’s still a program. And religious programs are not something secular seekers are often interested in attending.
What about the romantic model? It’s honestly the same exact thing as the information model. The only difference is the preacher focuses each sermon on the love of Jesus rather than proof texting, being right, or attacking other denominations. In this approach, evangelists also steer clear of framing the apocalypse with conspiracy theories and anti-Catholic rhetoric. Instead, they work hard to make everything about relationship, love, and community. This model is often tied to a contemporary aesthetic as well.
This approach is definitely an improvement on the informational model. But despite the tweak inside the system, it’s still the same system: you come to an event, you spectate a program, you consume information. And in secular missiology, this model rarely has much success.
And the reason is simple: Secular seekers are, by and large, uninterested in attending some big, information heavy religious event. It’s not something they seem to connect with in any way.
And no, adding a band, round tables instead of pews, and a “cool” pastor doesn’t make a difference.
But this doesn’t mean they don’t have spiritual and existential thirst. They do! Metamodernism is proof that unchurched generations are scratching in the dark, searching for a solution to the meaning crisis left behind by postmodernism. There is a resurgence of myth, legend, eastern spirituality, New Age and even certain forms of Christianity have seen an uptick in engagement (mostly Pentecostalism and Catholicism). It’s clear that there is a movement inside the secular world that is unsatisfied with relativism and the emptiness of the emotional dystopia we are left with when we deconstruct everything and then have nothing left to stand on. And this is an amazing opportunity for the church.
But this desire to solve the meaning crisis does not mean younger generations are asking the same questions we are asking. It does not mean they care about the same categories our sermons often explore. It does not mean we can blindly hand them the old gospel tract with its KJV verses and religious framing and expect a, “wow, this is what I needed!” response.
Again, once in a blue moon? Perhaps. But once in a blue moon isn’t an answer. It’s not a next step.
We need something better.
Now that something better isn’t something I can fully unpack in a blog article. Sorry to disappoint but that’s just not a thing. However, the good news is there are extra resources I’ll share below for those who want to dig deeper into the solutions.
For now, allow me to share five key points that we must nurture in Adventism if we wish to meaningfully engage secular seekers.
Key number one is we need new church plants specifically designed for secular mission. We cannot simply tweak or optimize established churches for this task. Secular mission is so radically different that we need teams especially trained for that task. This is non-negotiable.
Key number two is that the people who are part of a secular mission church plant must be trained and equipped to create the kind of community that is meaningful for secular seekers. And that means unlearning the way we do church entirely. Modern church models are simply not effective at discipling secular seekers. An entirely new model is needed - one that is biblical, grounded in the character of God, but especially designed for ministering to unreligious people.
Key number three is that the people who form part of these teams MUST love secular mission and secular seekers more than they love their religious identity. If you love being Adventist more than you love people, this is not the mission field for you. The unlearning and redesigning required will be too difficult. And anyone leading such a team would have constant stress. These teams need to be filled with missionaries who love people more than ideology. Otherwise, it doesn’t work.
Key number four is that these church plants are not program-centred. They are people-centred. Program-centred churches play a strong role among premodern and migrant communities. And we still need them! This is not about knocking other models as bad. This is simply about recognizing that such a model is better suited to other mission fields. But secular mission requires communities that are relational, incarnational, and interactive. Not a program. Not a religious event for seekers to attend and consume. But an actual living community for them to participate and be discipled in.
Key number five is these church plants are NOT a stepping stone for program-centred churches. They are the church. They are the whole point. Seekers are discipled, empowered, and the communities then multiply. They remain small, mobile, and engaged with their city.
Of course, these 5 key points are only the surface. But they are essential. Established churches are nearly impossible to turn into secular mission hubs. There are too many established expectations. Too many traditions that make no sense to unchurched seekers. Too many people emotionally invested in the way these churches operate. If you try and force the change you will only do more harm than good. It leads to unnecessary battles, avoidable division, and needless headaches. There is nothing wrong with a healthy established church. They do not need to change to accommodate secular mission. They can continue to live out the mission they are best equipped for.
Secular mission that focuses on discipling post and meta-modern seekers is a whole other mission field entirely. It requires a different model, a different culture, a different kind of believer whose nervous system is comfortable around people who are entirely different from Adventists. It requires a non-anxious presence in the city, a sensibility toward the things postmodernism rejects and an appreciation for the things meta-modernism is pursuing.
This is not the kind of church plant you build with just anyone. The guy who loves conspiracy theory sermons? The lady who’s aggressive about the health message? The nice elder who simply doesn’t get how secular people think and feel? You cannot build these kinds of churches with them. These are unique communities. They specialise in a very narrow mission field. One that requires a rethinking of anything and a comfort and enthusiasm about redesigning the way we do church.
Now, I know what you are thinking: How do we do this, right? I mean, what does it actually look like?
Like I said above, this isn’t a question I can answer in one blog. It’s simply not possible.
But I do have good news. I have written a book on this very topic. And I even have an online church planting course for this very mission field where I teach you and your team exactly how to reimagine church for secular postchurch mission.
The name of the book is “hidden.” and you can get it here. (Scroll down till you see it)
The name of the online academy is, “Missional Church Planting.” You can get that one here.
Both of these resources give you more than the why or the what. They give you the how.
This brings us to the end of this blog series.
I pray you have been inspired and challenged to think differently about mission and emerging generations. Metamodernism is here and it is changing the cultural landscape even more. But this is not the end. The technological shifts happening around us are so rapid that what tomorrow looks like is anyone’s guess. But as missionaries we need to stay engaged, understanding the times, and meeting the anxieties of the hour with articulations of the gospel that make sense to people in the here and now.
To that end,
Pastor M
